In a rare trade up, the Indianapolis Colts kicked off their third and final day of the 2019 NFL Draft by jumping 20 spots to select Michigan State safety Khari Wills at No. 109 overall.
The Colts’ secondary grew leaps and bounds last season, with their mix of experience, youth, and athleticism, and that’s likely to continue with the Day 2 selection of Temple cornerback Rock Ya-Sin and now Willis.
Here are four things to know about the Colts’ new defensive back:
Has family ties to Indianapolis
A lot of players in the NFL have some sort of family ties, but it’s rare when relatives get to play for the same team. And in the case of Willis, this can be a family reunion.
His cousin Bill Brooks is a former Colts’ great who was inducted in the team’s Ring of Honor in 1998. Brooks was also a fourth-round pick, taken in the 1986 NFL Draft by the Colts. A wide receiver, Brooks would finish his career with over 583 catches, 8,001 receiving yards and 46 touchdowns.
Instant playmaker when given the chance
In the world of sports, many have to relentlessly prepare for their opportunity without knowing whether or not it’s going to happen. Willis knows all about this since he had to wait two seasons at Michigan State before earning a starting job. But once he did so? Good things happened.
Between 2017-18, the two-time All-Big 10 honorable mention produced 155 tackles, 13 pass breakups and four interceptions. And besides those stats, Willis proved to be an underrated contributor when blitzing as he sacked the quarterback four times in 2017.
Willis’ versatility makes him the right fit
If there’s one thing head coach Frank Reich and his staff loves most, it’s a player who can do any and everything on the field, especially on defense. And when playing in the kind of scheme as installed in Indianapolis, a player of Willis’ caliber makes a ton of sense.
While Willis might be limited in his range playing over the top, he has showed an ability to play inside the box and as a nickel back. In addition, Willis could have an immediate role working on special teams, which goes a long way.
That can’t be understated for a Colts team, who will face their share of complex and unique offenses in 2019.
Another high-character selection
The Colts have made it a theme to place an emphasis on having the right character to work in the locker room and on the field in an unselfish manner. It’s a part of the criteria that often times moves a prospect higher on the Colts’ draft board than other teams might see.
Willis joins the group of draft picks this year that has an insanely admirable character. He is constantly praised for his leadership abilities at Michigan State while serving as team captain and being an Academic All-Big 10 selection three times.
